What an experience!  Meeting Dave Brubeck!

When we were told that Mr. Brubeck would take time from his busy schedule to meet Matthew and hear him play, I was stunned.  After all, my husband and I have been longtime fans of Mr. Brubeck’s music and have quite a collection of his CDs spanning many years.  Matthew has been a fan of Mr. Brubeck’s from the moment he first heard ‘Take Five’ and ‘Blue Rondo a la Turk’ (from the ‘Time Out’ CD).  Matthew, our little mathematician, was so fascinated and excited about the odd time signatures of the music that he immediately ran to the piano and picked out the pieces, all the while talking non-stop. “ The time signature of ‘Take Five’ is in 5/4 time, which is not a typical time signature, and the key, Eb minor, is a great key!  ‘Take Five’ is called ‘Take Five’ because it has a 5/4 time signature.  ‘Blue Rondo a la Turk’ is in the key of F Major and is in 9/8 time.  But it’s not just 9/8 time.  It’s actually in 2-2-2-3, which is really hard.  It’s a great song”.  The talking went on and on…  Matthew was hooked!

We took Matthew to hear Mr. Brubeck play last year at a performance in Harvard Square.  The concert went way past Matthew’s bedtime and we even had to send him to school late the next morning so he had enough time to sleep.  But Matthew loved the experience and talked about it for quite a long time afterwards.  When he discovered he was going to meet and play piano for Mr. Brubeck his eyes got wide and he exclaimed “Ooooh” and jumped up and down on the couch.  That’s excitement!
   

On the day of the meeting, everything seemed to happen so fast.  Mr. Brubeck shook hands with Matthew and talked with him a bit, asking questions about his age and interest in music.  Matthew answered in his usual on-the-move fashion, but did answer the questions.  He then ran to the piano and said, “Are you ready to hear me play? ”.  With a smile and the patience of a saint, Mr. Brubeck listened as Matthew played.  I interjected a few comments and explanations, but mostly the moment was just a musical one.  Matthew played several known piano compositions and several original improvisations. WGME-TV (channel 13) wanted some interviews, so unfortunately their time to interact seemed to go so fast.  However, when the station asked Matthew why he liked Mr. Brubeck’s music, the answer was “It just makes my fingers pop! ”.  Mr. Brubeck talked about some of his most memorable moments, including playing for the Pope.  Can you imagine that?  He spoke about his travels around the world and behind the Iron Curtain long before the political climate had changed.  He spoke about children hiding their interest in music and about people being considered enemies of the government just for daring to listen to the decadent and evil music of the free world.  Jazz in particular epitomized freedom of expression.

According to Mr. Brubeck, these experiences strengthened his interest and resolve in making sure music was passed on to the youth of today.  Jazz, especially, is in need of encouragement.  There are so many talented young musicians.  Music programs should be increased, not cut.

The best part (from Mom’s perspective) was when Mr. Brubeck first heard Matthew play.  Mr. Brubeck listened, smiled, and said, “A Chick Corea!”.  And later, during his interview with WGME-TV, Mr. Brubeck specifically mentioned “Young Matthew ” and said, “When he gets his talent under control he’ll be another Mozart! ”.  Wow.

Asked what he thinks about the meeting, Matthew gives a BIG smile and says, “His music grooves me.  I just LOVE his quartet! ”.  That’s probably the best review a person can get!
 

The Savage family would like to thank Dave Brubeck, the organizers of the Maine Jazz Festival, and WGME TV-13 Portland for giving Matthew the opportunity to meet Mr. Brubeck and play for him.  It was a dream come true!  WGME-TV's Gregg Lagerquist did a wonderful report on Matthew and his abilities and that was followed up with a story on the meeting with Dave Brubeck.  We will try to put these video spots on the site in the near future.